Information transmission device

Abstract

To provide a novel method that can detect potential failures in a standby dual system in a secondary system.SOLUTION: A station ATO transmitter / receiver 20, which is an information transmission device, comprises a 1-system transmission control unit 30a and a 2-system transmission control unit 30b, one of which is a main system and the other of which is a secondary system, and the transmission control unit of the main system executes main system control and the transmission control unit of the secondary system executes standby control, thus forming a standby dual system. The transmission control unit of the main system starts executing main system control after a predetermined standby time has elapsed, and the transmission control unit of the secondary system starts executing standby control after executing a self-verification process to check itself for output signals output from the transmission control unit during the standby time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information transmission device. [Background technology]

[0002] In a standby dual system consisting of a primary system and a secondary system, it is necessary to avoid a serious failure in which the secondary system also fails when switching to the secondary system due to a failure in the primary system. Standby dual system systems are broadly classified into a configuration in which the secondary system stops some or all of its operations, including output operations, and a configuration in which both systems perform the same operations but the output of the secondary system is cut off and does not output to the outside of the system. In the former configuration, if there is a potential failure in the secondary system, this cannot be detected unless the systems are switched and an output operation is actually performed. As a method for detecting a potential failure in the secondary system, there is a method of periodically switching systems while the system is in operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-318323 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has the disadvantage that the system switching is performed while the system is in operation, and therefore the system switching must be performed without affecting the operation of the system.

[0005] In a configuration in which both the primary and secondary systems perform the same operations, including output operations, a method can be considered in which the outputs of each system are compared to detect potential failures in the secondary system. However, this requires the provision of a separate detection circuit or the like, which is cumbersome and also increases the number of potential failure factors as additional circuits are added.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a new method capable of detecting a latent failure in a secondary system in a standby dual system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention for solving the above problem is: An information transmission device (e.g., the station ATO transceiver 20 in FIG. 1) that includes a master transmission control unit (e.g., the 1st transmission control unit 30a in FIG. 1) and a slave transmission control unit (e.g., the 2nd transmission control unit 30b in FIG. 1), in which the master transmission control unit executes master control and the slave transmission control unit executes standby control to form a standby dual system, the transmission control unit of the primary system waits for a predetermined waiting time to elapse before starting execution of the primary system control; The slave transmission control unit executes a self-check process for checking an output signal output from the slave transmission control unit during the standby time, and then starts executing the standby control. It is an information transmission device.

[0008] According to the first invention, in a standby dual system, a potential failure of the slave system can be detected. That is, in an information transmission device in which a master transmission control unit and a slave transmission control unit constitute a standby dual system, the slave transmission control unit executes a self-check process for an output signal during a predetermined standby time before the master transmission control unit starts executing master control. The slave transmission control unit that has completed the self-check process starts executing standby control. The master transmission control unit that has elapsed the standby time starts executing master control. That is, operation is started. With the above configuration, a potential failure of the slave system can be detected before the slave system switches to the master system during operation. As a result, a major failure in which both the master and slave systems fail during operation can be avoided.

[0009] The second invention is the above-mentioned invention, a system switching circuit that switches between the output signal output from the transmission control unit of the main system and the output signal output from the transmission control unit of the slave system and outputs the switched output to an external device; Further comprising: The slave transmission control unit stops outputting the output signal when the self-check process determines that the slave transmission control unit is normal. when the output signal is input from the transmission control unit of the slave system to the system switching circuit after the waiting time has elapsed, outputting a signal indicating a failure of the information transmission device to the outside. It is an information transmission device.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the self-check process does not determine that the slave transmission control unit is normal, the output of the output signal is not stopped, and therefore a signal indicating a failure in the information transmission device can be output to the outside.

[0011] The third invention is the above-mentioned invention, The main system control includes a transmission control unit of the main system executing the self-inspection process related to the output signal output from the transmission control unit, When the transmission control unit of the slave system is judged to be normal by the self-check process performed during the standby time and then the transmission control unit of the master system is judged to be abnormal by the self-check process under the master system control, the transmission control unit of the slave system executes system switching to become the control entity of the information transmission device. It is an information transmission device.

[0012] According to the third invention, when the master transmission control unit determines that there is an abnormality through the self-check process related to the output signal executed under master control, the control entity of the information transmission device is switched from the master transmission control unit to the slave transmission control unit. However, since the slave transmission control unit is determined to be normal through the self-check process executed, a serious malfunction of the information transmission device can be avoided.

[0013] The fourth aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned invention, The master transmission control unit and the slave transmission control unit each include A transmission unit (for example, the transmission circuit 32 in FIG. 1) that outputs the output signal and performs the self-check process; A control unit that monitors the states of the systems; having It is an information transmission device.

[0014] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the transmission control section can determine whether the transmission section that outputs the output signal is normal by the self-check process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] Example of station ATO transceiver configuration [Diagram 2] 13 is a flowchart of a process executed by a transmission control unit of a primary system. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart of a process executed by a transmission control unit of a slave system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the form to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, in the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a station ATO (Automatic Train Operation: Automatic Operation Equipment) transceiver to which the present invention is applied. The station ATO transceiver 20, which is an information transmission device, is mounted on a train 1, and transmits information to the ground by connecting a station ATO antenna 50 to a ground coil 5 installed on a track 3. Specifically, for example, while the train 1 is running, the station ATO transceiver 20 receives position information for position correction from a position correction ground coil (PDGC: Position Detection Ground Coil), which is an example of the ground coil 5, and outputs it to an ATC (Automatic Train Control: Automatic Train Control) / ATO control device 10. Also, while the train 1 is stopped at a station, the station ATO transceiver 20 transmits and receives information on door opening and closing, driving route, passing through a station, etc. to and from an information transmission ground coil (SLC: Station Loop Coil), which is another example of the ground coil 5, and inputs and outputs the information to the ATC / ATO control device 10.

[0018] The station ATO transceiver 20 includes, as components related to transmission, a 1-system transmission control unit 30a, a 2-system transmission control unit 30b, and a system switching circuit 40. The 1-system transmission control unit 30a and the 2-system transmission control unit 30b have the same configuration, and one (for example, the 1-system transmission control unit 30a) serves as a primary transmission control unit and executes primary system control, while the other (for example, the 2-system transmission control unit 30b) serves as a secondary transmission control unit and executes standby control, thereby forming a standby dual system.

[0019] The master control is a control that generates an output signal according to the instruction of the ATC / ATO control device 10 as the control subject of the station ATO transceiver 20 and outputs it to the system switching circuit 40. The standby control is a control that waits without outputting an output signal, and switches to a new master system when the transmission control unit of the master system becomes abnormal, that is, a control that executes system switching that starts output control of the output signal as the control subject of the station ATO transceiver 20 instead of the transmission control unit of the master system. The transmission control unit of the slave system can determine the state (normal / abnormal) of the transmission control unit of the master system by the state monitoring of each other's systems between the transmission control units 30a and 30b. This state monitoring of each other's systems may be realized, for example, by the transmission control units 30a and 30b outputting their own state as a relay contact and checking it with each other, or by electrically notifying each other of the conditions indicating the state (inter-system transmission). Note that the instruction from the ATC / ATO control device 10 is input in parallel to both the transmission control unit of the master system and the transmission control unit of the slave system. The standby control may be a hot standby in which an output signal is generated but not output to the system switching circuit 40, or a cold standby in which no operation is performed.

[0020] The system switching circuit 40 switches between an output signal output from the transmission control unit of the primary system and an output signal output from the transmission control unit of the secondary system, and outputs the signal to the station ATO antenna 50. The system switching circuit 40 can determine which of the primary and secondary systems is the controlling entity based on signals (e.g., relay contacts) from the transmission control unit of the primary system and the transmission control unit of the secondary system.

[0021] Further, each of the 1-system transmission control section 30a and the 2-system transmission control section 30b has a transmission circuit 32, which is a transmission section, and a control section 34. The transmission circuit 32 outputs an output signal and performs a self-check process of the transmission signal, which will be described later. The output signal is generated, for example, by modulating and amplifying a carrier wave of a predetermined frequency with data input from the control section 34. The control section 34 controls the operation of the transmission circuit 32 to output a transmission signal according to an instruction from the ATC / ATO control device 10, and monitors the status of each system between the transmission control section of the other system.

[0022] In this way, the station ATO transmitter / receiver 20 configures the transmission control units as a standby dual system for transmission-related configuration. One transmission control unit (for example, the 1-system transmission control unit 30a) becomes the primary transmission control unit and performs primary system control to output an output signal to the system switching circuit 40 as the control entity. The other transmission control unit (for example, the 2-system transmission control unit 30b) becomes the secondary transmission control unit and is operated to perform standby control to wait without outputting an output signal.

[0023] Furthermore, as one of the features of this embodiment, when the station ATO transmitter / receiver 20 starts up after being powered on, the primary transmission control unit starts executing primary control after a predetermined standby time has elapsed, and the secondary transmission control unit starts executing standby control after executing a self-check process to check the output signal output from the transmission control unit during the predetermined standby time.

[0024] That is, after the power supply of the station ATO transceiver 20 is turned on and before the operation starts, the transmission control unit of the slave system first performs a self-check process of the output signal. In this self-check process, in the transmission control unit of the slave system, the control unit 34 controls the operation of the transmission circuit 32 so that the control unit 34 generates an output signal according to an instruction from the ATC / ATO control device 10 and outputs it to the system switching circuit 40 in the same way as when the main system is the control subject, and the transmission circuit 32 compares the signal that is the feedback of the output signal with the signal before output inside the circuit to determine whether the transmission circuit 32 is normal. During this time, the transmission control unit of the master system is waiting without starting the master system control, so that no output signal is output from the transmission control of the master system to the system switching circuit 40. Then, if the self-check process determines that the system is normal, the transmission control unit of the master system then starts the master system control, and the transmission control unit of the slave system starts the standby control, and the operation of the station ATO transceiver 20 starts. On the other hand, if the self-check process determines that the system is not normal (abnormal), a signal indicating a failure is output to the outside.

[0025] 2 and 3 are flow charts showing the processing performed after the station ATO transmitter / receiver 20 is powered on. Of the 1-system transmission control unit 30a and 2-system transmission control unit 30b configured in the standby dual system, Fig. 2 shows the processing performed by the transmission control unit of the main system, and Fig. 3 shows the processing performed by the transmission control unit of the secondary system.

[0026] 2, in the master transmission control unit, the control unit 34 first judges whether the slave transmission control unit is normal from the result of the initial check. If the slave transmission control unit is not normal (step S1: NO), the master control is started (step S7).

[0027] If the slave transmission control unit is normal (step S1: YES), the process then waits for a predetermined waiting time to elapse (step S3). This waiting time is about several seconds. After the waiting time has elapsed, the control unit 34 judges whether or not an output signal has been output from the slave transmission control unit, that is, whether or not an output signal has been output from the slave transmission control unit to the system switching circuit 40. This judgment can be made by checking the system switching circuit 40.

[0028] If there is no output (step S5; NO), the control unit 34 starts primary system control (step S7). On the other hand, if there is output (step S5: YES), a signal indicating a fault is output to the outside (step S9) and a fail-safe stop is performed (step S11). A fail-safe stop means that the output is fixed to the safe side and operation is stopped. Cases in which the slave transmission control unit has an output include when the self-check result is not normal (is abnormal) or when the self-check process has not ended within the standby time. This fault signal detects a potential fault in the transmission circuit 32 of the slave transmission control unit, and the station ATO transceiver 20 can stop operation, etc.

[0029] 3, in the transmission control unit of the slave system, the control unit 34 judges whether or not an output signal is being output from the transmission control unit of the master system, that is, whether or not an output signal is being output from the transmission control unit of the master system to the system switching circuit 40. This judgment can be made by examining the system switching circuit 40.

[0030] If there is output (step S21: YES), the self-check process is not executed (step S23). On the other hand, if there is no output (step S21: NO), the self-check process is executed (step S25). That is, the control unit 34 controls the operation of the transmission circuit 32 so as to output a transmission signal in accordance with instructions from the ATC / ATO control device 10, and the transmission circuit 32 performs a self-check by feedback checking the output signal that it has output. During this time, the transmission control unit of the primary system is on standby, so no output signal is output from the transmission control unit of the primary system to the system switching circuit 40.

[0031] If the result of the self-check is normal (step S27: YES), the control unit 34 stops the output operation of the transmission circuit 32 and stops the output of the output signal (step S29). Thereafter, standby control is started (step S31). If the result of the self-check is not normal (abnormal) (step S27: NO), a signal indicating a failure is output to the outside (step S33) and a fail-safe stop is performed (step S35). This failure signal detects a potential failure in the transmission circuit 32 of the slave transmission control unit, and the station ATO transceiver 20 can stop operation, etc.

[0032] [Effects] According to this embodiment, in a standby dual system, a potential failure of the slave system can be detected. That is, in the station ATO transmitter / receiver 20, which is an information transmission device constituting a standby dual system in which one of the 1-system transmission control unit 30a and the 2-system transmission control unit 30b is the master system and the other is the slave system, during a predetermined standby time after power-on, the transmission control unit of the slave system executes a self-check process of the output signal, and the transmission control unit of the master system waits. The transmission control unit of the slave system that has completed the self-check process starts to execute standby control. The transmission control unit of the master system that has elapsed the standby time starts to execute master system control. That is, operation starts. With the above configuration, a potential failure of the slave system can be detected before switching from the master system to the slave system during operation. As a result, a major failure in which both the master system and the slave system fail during operation can be avoided.

[0033] Furthermore, the self-check process of the slave transmission control unit is performed at startup after power-on, that is, before operation begins, thereby ensuring the safety of the station ATO transceiver 20. If the slave transmission control unit were configured to perform self-check process during operation, if there was a latent failure in the slave transmission control unit, the latent failure could cause an abnormal output signal to be output outside the device during the self-check process, which would be dangerous.

[0034] [Variations] Incidentally, the applicable embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can of course be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0035] (A) Transmission control section The station ATO transceiver 20, which is an information transmission device, may further include a transmission control unit that transmits (outputs) a power wave for driving a non-powered ground coil, similarly configured in a standby dual system.

[0036] (B) Timing of self-examination processing In the above embodiment, the timing for the slave transmission control unit to execute the self-check process is the start-up time after power-on, but other timings are also possible. For example, timing for changing the direction of travel of the train 1 (end exchange, when changing the cab settings) or timing for performing an operation to start maintenance inspection (operation of the inspection button, etc.) (before the start of maintenance inspection) can be applied in the same way as long as it does not affect the operation of the station ATO transceiver 20, which is an information transmission device.

[0037] (C) Other information transmission devices The application of the information transmission device is not limited to the station ATO transmitter and receiver described above, but can also be applied to other devices that transmit and receive information to and from external devices, such as electronic terminals in electronic interlocking devices, CTC (Centralized Traffic Control) station devices, and ATC (Automatic Train Control) ground devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. Train 10…ATC / ATO control device 20…Station ATO transmitter / receiver 30...Transmission control section 30a...1st system transmission control section, 30b...2nd system transmission control section 32...Transmitting circuit 34...Control section 40... System switching circuit 50…Station ATO antenna 3…orbit 5…Ground coil

Claims

1. An information transmission device comprising a master transmission control unit and a slave transmission control unit, the master transmission control unit executing master control and the slave transmission control unit executing standby control to form a standby dual system, the transmission control unit of the primary system waits for a predetermined waiting time to elapse before starting execution of the primary system control; The slave transmission control unit executes a self-check process for checking an output signal output from the slave transmission control unit during the standby time, and then starts executing the standby control. Information transmission device.

2. a system switching circuit that switches between the output signal output from the transmission control unit of the main system and the output signal output from the transmission control unit of the slave system and outputs the switched output to an external device; Further comprising: The slave transmission control unit stops outputting the output signal when the self-check process determines that the slave transmission control unit is normal. when the output signal is input from the transmission control unit of the slave system to the system switching circuit after the waiting time has elapsed, outputting a signal indicating a failure of the information transmission device to the outside.

2. An information transmission device according to claim 1.

3. The main system control includes a transmission control unit of the main system executing the self-inspection process related to the output signal output from the transmission control unit, When the transmission control unit of the slave system is judged to be normal by the self-check process performed during the standby time and then the transmission control unit of the master system is judged to be abnormal by the self-check process under the master system control, the transmission control unit of the slave system executes system switching to become the control entity of the information transmission device.

3. An information transmission device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The master transmission control unit and the slave transmission control unit each include A transmission unit that outputs the output signal and performs the self-check processing; A control unit that monitors the states of the systems; having 4. An information transmission device according to claim 3.

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